Ruth Jones

“Of course I've been in love and I married the man that I love. It was love at first voice because I spoke to him on the phone before I met him. I did fall in love with his voice.”

“In some ways, I was confident as a teenager - I didn't mind standing on stage in front of loads of people - but innately, I didn't believe in myself. I would always put myself down before anyone else could.”

“I love talking about 'Stella.'”

“I love fallible characters.”

“When I re-read my diaries, it's the self-doubt that seems to be prevalent.”

“I get into a bit of a routine on holiday with buffing and body lotions. After a long day's hard sunbathing, there's nothing better than feeling all shiny and clean.”

“I like to observe people, and I find people pretty fascinating. So I think character is my strength.”

“I am nervous about how my debut novel will be received, because there's always that feeling that somebody might say something negative. I say I won't read the reviews, but I probably will. But just because somebody says something negative, I don't have to believe it.”

“I got a part in the film 'Emma' in which Gwyneth was playing the lead. She was going out with Brad Pitt at the time. I asked her if, with a name like Gwyneth, she had any Welsh connections. She wasn't terribly friendly.”

“I feel really lucky, I love doing my job.”

“Every day you read these awful stories in the papers that make you want to weep. You think, 'Why has this happened?' But at the same, people can also be lovely to each other.”

“I have facials and I love spas, but that's more about the pampering.”

“I have been very fortunate to play parts that have not been just, 'Oh, you need a fat person to play this part.' It's been a secondary thing or we made a feature of it.”

“I think it is easier to put yourself down before anyone else does. Or to laugh at yourself before anyone else does.”

“I like pampering, relaxation and somewhere comfortable to read on holiday. I consume books when I'm away because it's the only time I get to read for pleasure. Perhaps that makes me a beach vulture.”

“Writing a novel can be solitary at times compared to screenwriting, but I don't mind that.”

“I knew I wanted to write about female friendship. I've got a few friends I've known since we were teenagers, who have spanned the decades, and I do find that a fascinating thing, that friendship can last that length of time.”

“I'd like to visit the Faroe Islands and at some point take a boat trip along the Caledonian Canal in Scotland.”

“The first thing I remember writing was a poem - about a princess who sat on a hill and sang all day - when I was eight.”

“It's a huge compliment to be seen as a dramatic actress and not just a comic actress.”